Grate construction for furnaces.



G. L. DAVIDSON. GRATE CONSTRUCTION FOR FURNACES. APPLICATION FILED AUG.15, 1911.

LIfiQJWQm Patented Feb.23, 1915.

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CHARLES n navrnson, or NEW YORK, n. Y.

GBATE CONSTRUCTION FURNACES.

Specification of Letters'TPatent.

Patented Feb. 23,1915.

Application filed August 15, 1911. Serial No. 644,097.

To all whom itmaz concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLEs L. DAVID- soN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have made acertain new and useful Invention in naces, of which the following is aspecification. 7

This invention relates to grate constructions for furnaces.

The object of the invention is to provide a constructionof grate forfurnaces which is simple'in structure, economical to manufacture, andwherein the grate sections may be individually removed for repair orreplacement without interrupting the use and operation of the grate orfurnace.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination,location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fullyhereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawing, and finallypointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, and to the various views andreference signs appearing thereon, Figure 1 is a view in verticallongitudinal section of a portion of a furnace grate showing the gratesections and their supporting webs in section, and a portion of thelocking mechanism for locking the webs. Fig. 2 is a broken detailed Viewof a portion of the grate section supporting web showing the gratesection engaging lugs. Fig. 3 is a detailed view in section showing theweb and grate section and the manner of removing individual gratesections. F1g. 4 1s a view 1n rear elevation of a supporting web showingthe manner of applying the gate sections thereto. Fig. 5 is a top planview of the construction shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view in section ofa grate section. on the line 66, Fig. 5, looking in the direction of thearrows. Fig. 7 is a similar view on the line 7 7, Fig. 5.

I have shown, and will now describe my invention as applied to grateconstructions for use in connection with automatic stokers, andparticularly the type of automatic stoker knownon the market as theHoney stoker, but I wish it understood that my invention, as defined inthe claims, is not tobe limited or restricted to use in connectio'nwithautomatic stokers, nor to use Grate Construction for Fun.

in connection with any particular type of stoker.

In the operation of stokers and particularly stokers of the automatictype, great trouble is experienced in the cost of making repairs. Therepair is required most frequently on the grate sections and theirsupporting webs, these parts being rapidly burned out particularly whencertain grades of coal are emploved which contain high percentages ofsulfur or sulfur and iron. When the grate sections or their supportingwebs become burned out, it becomes necessary, in order to repair, removeor replace them, to let the fire cool down or go out entirely, therebyinvolving loss not only in the amount of coalconsumed in permitting thefire to cool down or to go out but also during the time the furnace isagain fired to bring the boiler up to its normal workin condition..Moreover, the service of the boiler during the time of making repairsand of cooling off the same for repair purposes is wasted, therebyincreasing the expense. Ordinarily the repair of a burned out gratesection or its supporting web is accomplished by removing the web fromthe furnace after the fire has been drawn and the grate section and webhave become sulficiently cool, then unbolting the grate section from theweb for the purpose of replacing I the same or the web as the case maybe, then replacing the re aired web with the grate section appliedthereto into the furnace, or else by substituting a new grate sectionand web for the burned out parts. On account of the burning out of thegrate sections and webs, the metalof these parts frequently melts andforms a substantiallysolid mass of the grate section and the web, wherethese parts are made separately, and with the securing devices, bolts.rods or other form of connections by which the grate sections andv websare secured together, thereby making it necessary frequently, in makingrepairs to these parts, to cut out the securing bolts or rods with achisel or otherwise, thereby making the operation difficult, andfrequently resulting in breakage of the web. Efforts have been made toremedy these de fects but without entire satisfaction.

.. Moreover, where individual grate sections are employed objectionablespaces between adjacent grate 1 sections are produced through which coalmay sift in the operat-ion 0f the grates especially where 1 autoa maticdevices are employed for operating the grate.

It is among the special purposes of my present invention to avoid theobjections above noted, and to provide a construction of grate whereinthe grate sections or elements are individually removable from thesupporting webs therefor without removal of the web itself and withoutinterruption of the usual and ordinary operation of the grate, thusgreatly facilitating the operation of making repairs and avoiding theloss and waste incident to former methods wherein the furnace isrequired to be shut down during the time repairs are beingmade, while atthe same time providing a grate construction which permits of theapplication thereof to an automatic stoker and without loss of coal dueto the sifting of the same through crevices or spaces intermediateadjacent grate sections.

In carrying out my invention I provide a supporting web of comparativelylimited cross-sectional area and with engaging lugs thereon upon whichlugs the individual grate sections are seated or engaged, and I arrangeeach web at such a level or height with reference to its next adjacentweb as to permit the grate sections to be individually removed therefromby raising the same vertically sufficiently to be disengaged from theweb retaining lugs, and then tilting them vertically so as to be removedfrom their supporting web and removed through the space between said weband the next adjacent web, being passed down beneath the grate, thusaccomplishing the operation of replacing a new grate section withoutremoval of the web from the grate and without interrupting the operationof the grate.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown a construction embodying theprinciples of my invention and the manner of application of the same toa construction of automatic stoker of a familiar type.

Reference numeral 10 designates the supporting webs. These are in theform of bars designed to extend transversely of the furnace chamber and,in the case of an'automatically operated grate having pintles 11, at theends thereof, to engage a convenient support for supporting the same. Byemploying a web in the form of a bar as shown, the same may be made ofcomparatively limited cross-sectional area so as to afford ample spacebetween adjacent webs for the grate sections when detached therefrom tobe readily passed down through the space between the supporting webtherefor and the next adi'acent web. Formed on the web 10, are the lugs12, 13, which in the particular form shown, as illustrating an operativeembodiment of my invention, are arranged in pairs. Associated witheachlug 12, 13, is a side rib 14. The grate sections are indicated at15. These are in the form of plates and, if desired, maybe corrugated,as shown, upon their upper surfaces. On their under sides each gratesection 15, is provided with lugs 16, forming sockets therebetweenadapted to receive the lugs 1213 on the web 10, when the grate sectionsare placed in position on said web. In the form shown, to which, howevermy invention as defined in the claims, is not to be limited orrestricted, each individual grate section 15, is provided with thesocket lugs 16, at each end thereof respectively cooperating with themembers of the pair of web lugs 1213. Associated with each of the socketlugs 16, that is, with the socket lugs at each end of a grate section,is a transversely extending flange 17. hich is designed to engage withor against the rib ll of its associated web lug 12-13 to prevent lateralhorizontal play of the grate section. In the particular form shown whereeach grate section engages a pair of web supporting lugs 12--13, theribs 14- are placed on the proximate surfaces of the lugs 12-43 so as tobe engaged by the flanges 17 in opposite directions as clearly shown atthe left hand end of Fig. 4, thereby forming an eiiicient engagingconnection between the web and the individual grate sections preventinglateral or horizontal tilting of the grate sections relatively to theweb, while at the same time permitting any particular grate section tobe removed from a web without disturbing the others, by lifting saidgrate section bodily sufficiently for the web lugs 1213 to be disengagedfrom the plate lugs 16 and then tilting the removed or disengaged gratesection and passing the same down through the space between the web fromwhich it was removed and the next adjacent web, as clearly indicated bythe arrows in Fig. 3.

By the foregoing construction and arrangement I am enabled to remove,repair and replace the grate sections individually and withoutinterrupting the ordinary operation of the grate. I am also enabled toemploy grate sections in the form of plates which, when assembled ontheir supporting web have their edges in close contact with each other,thereby avoiding the provision of crevices or spaces between theindividual sections through which coal may sift in the operation of thegrate. I am also enabled to employ comparatively short lengths of gratesections thereby reducing the cost of repairs by removing only the oneor more of the grate sections which may require removal and replacementwhen others on the same web may not require removal or replacement.

Where the construction embodying my invention is designed for use inconnection with an automatic stoker, the webs 10, may

be provided with rocker arms 20, arranged to be engaged by a rocker baror plate 21, operated by a pitman 22, in any convenient manner or in theordinary Way.

Having now set forth the object and nature of my invention, and aconstruction embodying the principles thereof, what I claim as new anduseful and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patentis,

1. In a grate construction, a supporting web having engaging lugsarranged in cooperating pairs and extending upwardly from the upper edgethereof, in combination with a plurality of grate sections havingcorresponding sockets to receive said lugs whereby said grate sectionsare retained on the web without other securing devices, and soconstructed that any individual grate section may be removed withoutremoving or disturbing the remaining grate sections or removing the webfrom the grate.

2. In a grate structure, a bar forming a supporting web and havingengaging lugs arranged in coiiperating pairs and extending upwardly fromthe upper edge thereof, a plurality of grate sections having cooperatingsockets to receive said lugs,whereby said sections are retained on theweb without other securing means, and so constructed that any individualgrate section may be removed without removing or disturbing theremaining grate sections or removing said web from the grate, said lugand socket engagement serving to prevent lateral movement of the barsrelatively to the web when in position for use.

3. In a grate structure, a bar forming a supporting web and havingengaging lugs arranged in cooperating pairs and extending upwardly fromthe upper edge thereof,-

and ribs associated with said lugs, in combination with grate sections,each grate section having cooperating sockets to receive said lugs, andflanges to engage said ribs.

4:. In a grate structure, a bar forming a supporting web and having lugsarranged. in oppositely faced cooperating pairs and extending upwardlyfrom the upper edge thereof, and ribs associated with said lugs andadjacent the proximate or opposite faces of the members of the saidpairs of lugs, in combination with a plurality of grate sections, eachgrate section having cooperating sockets to receive said lugs andflanges to engage said ribs.

5. In a grate bar structure, a bar forming a supporting web and havingpintles at its ends and engaging lugs extending up wardly from the upperedge thereof, and depending rocking arms formed integrally on said web,in combination with a plurality of grate sections having sockets toreceive said lugs, so constructed that said grate bar members areindividually and inde pendently removable from the web without removalof any other grate section or of the Web from the grate, and means forrocking said arms.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of thesubscribing witnesses, on this 12th day of August A. D., 1911.

CHARLES L. DAVIDSON.

Witnesses:

CLARENCE C. HUNICKE, S. E. DARBY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

